Hi there, I just found this forum. Looks like there's a lot of cool stuff here!

My son (8 y.o.) and I just came back from a backpacking trip that was great, except for one thing: we used a ton of white gas purifying water. We were using a conventional MSR stove while there was good alder wood all around. So now we're thinking of making our own wood-burning stove for a future trip. Thus- I found this site.

There are SO MANY designs out there -- here on this site, on Youtube, etc. ... which would you recommend for us to build as a first project?

Here's some information that may be relevant to your recommendation. We're pretty handy in general but we don't have a lot of specific metal working experience or tools. We live in the pacific northwest so there is lots of wood around but a lot of it is damp. Generally we don't really "cook" when we're camping, we just boil water for drinks and easy-to-make food. The stove doesn't need to be tiny but should be back-packable somehow. Of the designs I've seen, "rocket" stoves look most appealing to me because of the continuous fuel feed, but since I haven't made or used anything like this, I don't really know.

Hmmm. Make your first one out of a 1 quart paint can. You can purchase them at the big box hardware stores in their paint department. Use a can opener of the church key type to make the bottom and top holes. Use a 2 inch high piece of half inch hardware cloth for the pot support, also available at the same store. Make a grate out the same hardware cloth. This stove is easy for a Father /Son DIY quality time project. Church key opener : http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/roy ... MgodUDgAxQ

You should be able to find some dry fuel under the largest conifer trees up where you are. I saw that in a Rambo movie

Make some "buddy burners" using cupcake papers, paraffin and sawdust. Can't find dry wood, use the buddy burners.

Store the pot support around the outside of the can.

Search our wood burner threads for info on vertical stacking of twigs and lighting from the top.

Again, welcome to bplite, enjoy your stay and share some photos of your finished stove projects(plural).....you cant' just make one

Thanks, zelph. We can do what you said -- it might be a good "basic model" to see if more complicated things actually perform better.

In general, we're pretty handy and geeky ... so that basic model might take too little time. Any input on a relatively simple one with the rocket design? Here's one of a thousand on youtube... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwujZFK05rY?